He took up the sport for a few months back in 1999, but when the friend he played with moved away, his playing days were put on hold.

It took a trip to Tulsa with his wife, Misti, about four years later to visit her sister and brother-in-law to really ignite Jerry's passion.

''There was a course by the river and so we went down there and played, and ever since I played that round, for whatever reason, just the second time around I hooked onto it,'' Jerry said. ''I've been playing it and been involved with it and promoting it ever since.''

Jerry is the director for the Fourth Annual Abilene Wild Hair Disc Golf Tournament, which takes place today and Sunday at Cal Young Park, and since 52 people participated in the inaugural event in 2004, the number of entrants has continued to grow each year. It increased to 54 in 2005 before jumping up to 74 a year ago.

Jerry said he is expecting close to that number again this year, with the maximum set at 90.

''More people are getting introduced to the sport,'' said Jerry, who helped start a disc golf newsletter last year that comes out once a quarter and lists upcoming tournaments. ''The sport on a national level has grown from year to year. Memberships of the (Professional Disc Golf Association) have grown year to year, and there's better communication in our region.''

Jerry said that there are players who come from as far as 200 miles away, with Misti adding that a few competitors from Oklahoma said they would make the trip, and that about 75 percent of the field will be made up of amateurs.

The object of disc golf is to throw a disc into an elevated basket in the fewest number of throws. But unlike ball golf, the equipment is minimal. Instead of a bag of clubs and golf balls, all a player needs is a single disc, though some players use different discs for different types of throws and distances.

''Part of the reason I got into it was because it was easy to play, it was really fun, outdoors and very inexpensive,'' Jerry said. ''Even the highest quality disc is only going to run you about 15 bucks. The majority of courses are on public property and public parks. It's a simple outdoor activity that anybody of any age can enjoy.''

The Kingstons play as a family about once a month with 10-year-old son Jared, and even 3-year-old daughter Jennifer is beginning to learn how to play. She particularly likes her mother's pink putting disc.

''She mostly throws it behind her, but she likes to put it in the basket,'' Misti said.

Disc golf also offers a social outlet. Jerry said his favorite memories don't revolve around his achievements on the course, but rather the people he has met during competition.

There was the retired couple in their late 60s who played disc golf as part of their vacations in different parts of the country, and the Amateur World Championships he and Misti played in last summer in Tulsa that consisted of about 550 players.

''It was neat just getting to meet people from the United States and the rest of the world that play disc golf and just have fun with them,'' Misti said. ''The courses that they have at the Worlds were just so hard, but they were beautiful.''

And on Fourth of July weekend in 2003, Jerry and his brother-in-law met a group of disc golf veterans in Amarillo.

''They had been playing for a long time, 15 to 20 years,'' said Jerry, who proved that you don't necessarily need to play well to have fun by scoring an 82 on the par-57 course. ''They were very nice and very encouraging with two guys who had just started. When I saw how they acted I said that's what I want to do, and then on top of that just the technical things they could do.

''It was just a really great learning experience and got me believing in the sport and seeing the value of it.''

FOURTH ANNUAL ABILENE WILD HAIR DISC GOLF TOURNAMENT

When, where: Today-Sunday at Cal Young Park; Registration ends at 9 a.m. today; Play begins at 10 a.m. and two rounds will be played each day.

Entry fee: $27 for amateurs, $52 for professionals in the Open, $47 for professionals over 40 years old in the Masters, plus $5 PDGA non-member fee.

Note: Lunch is included for competitors and will also be available for spectators to purchase.